"I was wondering what kind of girl could have botched up a rescue attempt so badly. Now that I know it was you all along, everything makes sense."
"Go away."
Rome runs his nose down the side of my face, smiling at the way I shiver. "After all thes...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
ROME IS IN A FOUL MOOD TODAY.
Years of dealing with him have taught me how to detect his bad moods. Depending on how stiff his gestures become, how cruel his words sound and how sharp his powers act, I could tell whether he's tired, annoyed or sick.
And today, he's furious.
Rome doesn't visit the Abernathy Mansion often, but when he does, he's usually polite. I guess that isn't the case today.
A maid came to the locker room in tears after Rome snapped at him. A doorman overheard him taunting somebody on video-call. She said it was so intense that she actually considered abandoning her post. We've been texting each other through our screens, making sure to avoid areas in which Rome has been spotted.
Angry Abernathys usually make us nervous.
Rome Abernathy, with his ultimate powers of telekinesis, is another problem altogether. His powers intensify and go out of control. It's terrifying. Chandeliers shudder. Doors slam. And we've even seen of the plates break out of nowhere.
The faint sound of his voice comes from upstairs, harsh and unyielding, as a couple of maids and I scrub down the crevices of the main lobby. Rome's anger tugs at our mating bond, like a child pulling on a string, wanting comfort. It demands that I go and aid my mate with whatever's going wrong.
But I know it's a bad idea to mess with Rome when he's pissed.
"Maybe Winifred could offer Rome a back massage to soothe him," Mary, a maid with silver hair and lots of laugh lines, jokes. She polishes the frame of one of the emerald and gold mirrors. "I always feel less annoyed when my son gives me one."
"Thanks Mary, but I don't think a back pain is the source of his problems," I take the mop and click a button so it releases all the dirty water into the pail. My tired reflection looks back at me from the murky water. "Whatever's going on with Rome is probably something beyond my talents."
"I don't know. When it comes to mates, I'm sure you have talents you haven't even begun to recognize."
"Mary," I click another button and soak up clean water from another pail, too tired to blush or laugh in response. "You better not be suggesting what I think you're suggesting."
"A kiss could make him feel better."
Now I blush. "I don't think a kiss is the solution either."
"I don't know how people like Rome even have the ability to feel anything besides smug or content," Jill, another maid just one year younger than me, puts in. "He's rich. He's fuck-hot. He has awesome powers. What's there to be upset about?"
Another door slams from upstairs.
"You know what they say, right?" I turn my eyes to the ceiling. "With great power comes great responsibility?"
